Parliament Hill continues to mourn Jim Flaherty with public book of condolences

With the Chamber shuttered for the two-week Easter recess, the mood on the Hill will likely remain pensive as the Hall of Honour opens its doors to allow members of the public to sign a book of condolences in memory of the late Jim Flaherty, who will be further memorialized at a state funeral in Toronto on Wednesday.

Outside the precinct, Aboriginal Affairs Minister Bernard
Valcourt hits the stage at the Toronto Empire Club, where he's slated
to give a keynote address "highlighting the important role of Canada's
Aboriginal community in the country's economic growth and long-term prosperity."

Also out and about in the Greater Toronto Area today: Minister of
State for Multiculturalism Tim Uppal, who drops by Khalsa Community
School in Brampton to formally announce what the advisory confirms is a "new
policy to allow the wearing of Sikh kirpans in Canadian missions abroad."

Elsewhere in southern Ontario, Minister of State for Science Ed
Holder joins Canada Foundation Innovation representatives at McMaster
University in Hamilton, where he'll tour the Physical Activity Centre of
Excellence before sharing the details of "new investments in research
infrastructure" at universities across Canada.

Meanwhile, his predecessor Gary Goodyear, who now serves as
Minister of State for FedDev Ontario, makes his way to the University of
Waterloo for an "innovation summit."

Moving north, Transport Minister Lisa Raitt teams up with
local MP Bryan Hayes for back-to-back announcements in
Sault-Ste. Marie, including one that will involve the local Canada Customs
Plaza, while in Port Hope, Natural Resources Minister Greg
Rickford pays a visit to the site of what the notice describes as the
"site of [the] new police detachment" for the Eabametoong First Nation.

Back in Quebec, meanwhile, Infrastructure Minister Denis
Lebel delivers fresh federal cash in his home province of Quebec, with
stops in Val-D'or and Trois-Rivieres.

On the other side of the country, International Trade Minister Ed
Fast teams up with local MP and Government Whip John
Duncan for a Canada-Korea free trade-touting speech in Campbell River,
while in Aldergrove, Public Safety Minister Steve Blaney
unveils plans for a new NEXUS lane at the region's point of entry.

Finally, Fisheries Minister Gail Shea doles out federal cash
to "restore and improve habitat that supports recreational fisheries" in North
Vancouver, while in Victoria, Western Economic Diversification Minister
Michelle Rempel kicks in some financial assistance to boost
"world-class marine safety" during a stop at the Technology Enterprise Facility
before heading off to Whitehall Rowing and Sail for an announcement that will,
the notice avers, "benefit trade and investment" in the area .

For up to the minute dispatches from the precinct and beyond, keep your
eye on the Parliament Hill Ticker below -- or, alternatively, bookmark
it and check back throughout the day.

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About the Author

Kady O'Malley has been covering the Hill for more than a decade (yes, really) for a variety of publications. An Ottawa girl (not quite born, but raised), she has a passion for politics that borders on the unhealthy, and has liveblogged her way through hundreds of committee meetings, press conferences, judicial inquiries, budget launches, cabinet shuffles, and even the odd constitutional crisis. Oh, and yes, her Boston Terrier really is named "BlackBerry."
For up-to-the-minute bulletins, follow Kady on twitter!